


magic trick

by ithinkinstories



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, F/M, Romance, Song: House of Cards (Tyler Shaw), Uchiha Sasuke-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 00:06:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20380372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ithinkinstories/pseuds/ithinkinstories
Summary: Sasuke is done. Just done. Everything either pisses him off, or leaves him wondering what is the point of trying anymore, and that's just when he's off duty.Enter the squad's new filing clerk; a calm, collected woman who is actually in his father's good graces.Then there's the Queen of Hearts, a vigilante warrior on a one woman crusade to lower the city's crime rate.How will these two women shake up Detective Uchiha's outlook on life?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the music video for House of Cards by Tyler Shaw. I recommend checking it out before reading chapter 6.
> 
> I don't own any sexy Uchiha ass _sob_, or any of the other cuties, but they do own me.

The television in the squad room of Konoha’s seventh precinct blared as the daily news broadcast told of the rising crime rate in the city. It was depressing, and did nothing for the morale of the officers listening. Though windows were cracked, allowing the cool autumn air to float in, it felt stale and grey. 

Detective Sasuke Uchiha clenched his fist in his hair, preferring the mild pain to the frustration that would come with tearing up the papers in front of him, as much as he wanted to. Taking it out on the newspaper to his left might help alleviate the tension a little, but then the source of his ire would still be sitting right in front of him when he was done. He was already this worked up, and the day had only just begun. A day full of the same damn rigmarole as every other.

“All right, everyone, listen up!” Squad captain Fugaku Uchiha called without really raising his voice above normal as he exited his office. Everyone stopped what they were doing and gave him their full attention without issue, even the rowdier ones of the bunch. They were all pleasantly surprised to see an attractive young woman standing behind him.

“Sasuke, who is that?” A voice that seemed incapable of whispering questioned from across the divider between the detective and his partner’s desks. 

“Have some patience for once, Uzumaki, and you’ll find out,” Fugaku barked with a glare at the blonde, before using it to scan the rest of his subordinates. “We are severely out of order here, as most of those of you who bother to do them don’t care to neatly file your reports in the places they belong! Because of you slobs, I have brought in Miss [L. Name] to help get us back on track and keep us from losing any vital information on our cases. She will also be doing that which I can’t do, and breathing down your necks when you slack off with your reports! You are not to distract her, or let yourselves be distracted just because she wears a skirt. I expect things to shape up around here. Got it?” 

“Yes, Captain,” all of the detectives but Sasuke chorused. 

He turned to the woman. “Now, start putting names with faces. I expect you to know each of them by lunch, so you can be demanding their reports by the end of the day.” 

She gave him a curt nod. “Yes, Captain.” 

With one last sweeping glare, he returned to his office. The second his door closed, the excitable blonde that had been reprimanded earlier moved so fast to get in front of her, papers were blown to the floor. 

“Hey there! I’m Naruto Uzumaki! What’s your name?” 

Another man appeared suddenly alongside him. “And I am Rock Lee! You are a beautiful flower, and I beg that you tell me your name!” 

She backed up in alarm and one of the papers on the ground that got under her stiletto heel caused her to slip. She braced herself to hit the floor, but another fast moving figure that was close by was able to catch her just in time. [E/C] met black as her red painted lips formed an O in surprise. His hands on her lower back were warm, which she felt through her loose blouse, his arms around her waist were secure. 

He didn’t blush, but it was the closest he had come to it since he was ten years old as he helped her straighten up and get steady. 

“Smooth move, Sasuke!” The blonde commended, visibly envious. 

“You morons,” he snarkily remarked once he had let her go. He whacked his partner over the head. “Do you ever think about how normal people will react when you act psychotic?” 

“Don’t start with me, teme!” 

“Whoa, whoa!” The woman spoke up, getting between her savior and the other two. “Let’s not make it easier on the bad guys by taking swings at each other!” 

A laugh rang out from the other side of the room. “Good luck with that, [Name]!” 

The brown haired detective grinned. “Those two are always at each other. Naruto is willing to scuffle with anyone, for that matter.” 

She sighed. “So you warned me, Detective Sabaku.” 

“Wait, you know him?” Naruto questioned. 

“She lives with me!” 

[Name] shot him a cold look. “Didn’t I tell you _not_ to do this?” 

“Yes, you did,” a red haired officer said as he walked back in from his run to the bathroom. He stood at the brunette’s side, giving him a cold look of his own. 

“Oh, lighten up, you two! I said you lived with me, not that we-”

“Gaara, please hit him before I do.” 

The redhead obliged. His brother grimaced and rubbed his head, grumbling under his breath.

“So what exactly is the situation there?” 

Sasuke didn’t care about her living situation. He had done what he needed to do, so he returned to his desk, dragging Naruto with him. Lee dejectedly returned to his desk as he was tugged by his dark haired, complaining, and accusedly lazy partner.

“I live with both Detectives Sabaku and their sister. I’m a transfer here from Suna precinct as well,” [Name] answered with a sigh. “That’s all you need to know for now. If you all wouldn’t mind, I’m going to come around really quick and formally meet each of you. Please state at least your last name, so I know how to address you.” 

Without waiting for anyone to say anything, she started at Sasuke’s desk. “Hello, I am [Name] [L. Name]. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Detective…?” 

“Uchiha.” He didn’t even look up from his work. 

She paused, then nodded. “Your brother is the sergeant out on a case right now.” 

This merited a glance in her direction. “Hn.” 

“All right then,” she noted and moved on, black skirt swishing around her thighs. His eyes followed her, finally taking the chance to assess her. His father hadn’t mentioned anything about bringing a filing clerk in, least of all a woman. At least she shouldn’t be getting in the way. It was in her job description to stay out of the way and keep things orderly, and Sasuke couldn’t find anything to immediately dislike about her, so he figured it’d be okay… for now. 

“Sasuke! Uzumaki! There’s been a robbery reported at seven twenty-three Green Street! Get on it!” 

Before his father could finish issuing the command, Sasuke and Naruto were up and running out the door. 

When they reached the scene of the crime, a jewelry store, they were met with a hysteric owner, a large crowd intent on finding out what they could, even at the risk of impeding the investigation, an ambulance with lights flashing, and several injured. 

“H-he just came out of nowhere!” The female half of the couple who ran the place sobbed, clinging to her husband. 

“Can you give me anything that can be used to identify him? Would you be able to give a sketch artist a good description?” Sasuke questioned.

“When he ran out, it was obvious that his right knee is damaged,” the man recounted. 

“Anything else?” 

“I’m sorry, but no. There was so much confusion, and with him waving that gun around, it was hard to focus on specifics.” 

“Very well.” The detective handed his card over. “Call if you remember anything later. We’ll do what we can, but I hope you have insurance.” 

As the couple gawked at his blunt statement and he received a hard jab in the side from his partner, Sasuke could only think one thing. One thing that had been running through his mind for years, as he was surrounded by vulnerable people taken advantage of by others who were less than the scum of the earth, by people who just didn’t care anymore about what was right and what wasn’t, by crimes that would never be punished, and by this empty feeling in his chest that he doubted would ever go away. 

_What makes life worth living?_


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, guys, look at this!” 

Naruto slammed the daily newspaper on his desk, beckoning his fellow detectives. “They actually got a picture of her!” 

“What?” Shikamaru cried in disbelief as he looked over the front page spread. He wasn’t alone, as Lee and Kankuro crowded around. “She’s been at this for almost a month now and they just now get this? It’s not even that good…” 

The click clack of high heels against the department floor preceded a gentle warning call. “Detectives, if you have time to gawk at a picture, you have time to get caught up on your paperwork! I know each of you has at least one report I’m waiting on.” 

The men all turned to see the typically mild mannered filing clerk carrying a stack of thick folders. “Next round of coffee is on me if you all get back to work, and you know I only get the good stuff.” 

“You’re a damn slave driver, [Name].” 

“Detective Nara, that is my job, and I’d like to keep it, thank you very much.” 

The three standing men dispersed to their desks. 

“Aw, [Name]! It’s the Queen!” Naruto whined. 

Her soft eyes hardened as they settled on the newspaper. “Detective, I don’t care to know what a vigilante is up to, unless she is interfering with our work. I’d rather not get invested in the life of someone who is likely going to get themselves killed when they get in over their head.” 

She strutted on to her own desk, where she spread the folders out and began going through them. 

Sasuke, who had remained quiet the whole time eyed her reflection in his badge that he had positioned carefully on his desk, just so he could keep an eye on her. It had been three months since she joined the precinct and she was as much a mystery to him as the day she arrived. He really didn’t care to get involved in someone else’s life, but he had to admit that she intrigued him, if for nothing but the fact that she was so young and maintained her place on his father’s good side, which was near impossible for anyone. 

She exuded vitality, yet was very subdued. Her very presence commanded respect as she unflinchingly worked among seven men who could easily overpower her without their service revolvers. The only women Sasuke had ever seen this confident and self assured aura around were at least ten years older. 

To put it all simply, Sasuke willingly accepted her, which was only slightly less rare than his father respecting someone that didn’t have their own command of people. 

“All right, listen up!” Fugaku hollered as he stormed in, looking livid. “I’ve let this go on too long, and now that vile vigilante has openly mocked us. People are starting to question our authority and capability all because this woman has apprehended a few small time thieves and stopped some muggings.” 

“But Captain, shouldn’t we be trying to ally ourselves with this youthful lady who seems to have the same agenda as us?” Lee asked hesitantly. The curl of his superior’s lip and bared teeth nearly had the young man curling up under his desk. 

“Detective, it is not your place to make such suggestions, is it?” 

Lee just shook his head, trembling in fear. 

“What did she even do?” Sasuke spoke up, maintaining his disinterested front. “The news would be all over something like that, but there hasn’t been a word of it.” 

Fugaku approached him, seething with rage. “She offered to _help_ us.” 

They all fell silent, different expressions of disbelief displayed on each visage. 

“How is that a problem?” Naruto dared question. 

“It’s a problem, Uzumaki, because she is insinuating that we are incapable of doing our jobs! She hasn’t said or done anything to truly undermine us yet, but she will. She had the gall to leave a note on her latest captive for us, which was subtle, but she’ll have the public on her side soon enough!”

Cold eyes re-focused on the badge in front of him, Sasuke mulled over his father’s words. Once upon a time, Fugaku’s word shaped his world, but as he grew older, he was disillusioned. He honestly didn’t give a rat’s ass about the Queen of Hearts. As she made things easier on them, one pathetic perpetrator at a time, he couldn’t even view her as a nuisance. 

“I am now making her arrest a priority, and therefore am assigning her to you, Sasuke. You are going to be the lead on capturing her.” 

“We can’t waste man hours on this,” he responded coolly. “Even if we catch her, we couldn’t hold her for long.” 

A smug smirk twisted the captain’s features. “Ah, but holding her isn’t the goal. We are going to unveil her. When the face behind that mask is revealed, she won’t dare continue her little heroics.” 

“But sir, that would endanger her!” Naruto interrupted. “She’d have to look over her shoulder every day for the rest of her life!” 

“That’s the point, Uzumaki. I’ll give her a little warning, but if she doesn’t end this charade, I will resort to such measures. Now, I will not have any insubordination! Stay out of Sasuke’s way, and give him any assistance he needs.” 

He headed into his office, the air around him thick enough to choke a man. As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, the detectives all exchanged looks of apprehension. 

“This doesn’t sound good.” 

“You think? You moron, of course it’s not!” 

“What do we do?” 

“We can’t do anything, can we?” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw [Name] rise. She walked out without a word, and he was tempted to follow her. Before he could, Gaara was on his feet and out the door, all other eyes staring after him. 

“Hey, Kankuro, are Gaara and [Name] together?” Naruto’s tone of voice was one of skepticism. 

“Nah,” the brunette sighed, sitting on his desk. “He’s just protective as hell of her.” 

“You know, she’s been here for over three months now, and we know next to nothing about her. What can you tell us?” Shikamaru mused. 

“Not much to tell. She was my trainee four years ago. She was fresh out of the academy, and the weakest looking little runt I had ever seen. I was amazed that she made it through to graduation, until our first scrape with some gangsters. The kid took down a guy twice her size and walked away with a cut on her cheek.” He paused, chuckling at the memory. 

Sasuke pretended to organize some papers as he listened intently to the story. God knew that Sasuke Uchiha was not going to show that he was curious about a woman. 

“Temari had me bring her over for dinner one night when she heard that [Name] was on her own in the city, and within the first hour, we gained a little sister. She practically moved in with us until we moved up here. She didn’t want to come with us, though we all but begged her to. Even Gaara was pushing her, but she didn’t budge… It killed him when we got the news from his old partner a few months later.” 

“What news?” Lee immediately jumped in the conversation. 

“She had been shot in the shoulder. They got her taken care of and she was able to go back to everyday life pretty quickly, just while attending physical therapy. Temari took some time off work to go help her out, and try to convince her to move up here with us. She came home a month later empty-handed. You all remember when Gaara was itching to pull his gun on anything that moved? It was because all of that was going on.”

“Okay, and what happened next? What finally got her up here?” 

Brown eyes softened and gazed at the grey floor. “Six months went by of her healing at the pace of an Olympian, then it slowed down for a few more, and then stopped. She is able to do most everything she needed to in her day to day life, but she can’t pass the required physical to get back on the beat.” 

A rush of pity coursed through the youngest Uchiha. He remembered getting injured in a chase, and the subsequent madness that took over him when he was out for two weeks. To never get to return would drive him to complete insanity, especially at such a young age. He abruptly shook his head. What did he care? She didn’t have the same problems he did. He had to get back on the job because his father would never let him live it down otherwise. He was a man who couldn’t sit still for very long. He had to live up to his brother’s example. His whole life rode on his ability to be a good cop. Hers didn’t. 

“She wasn’t happy with that, though. She wanted- wants- to be out there again so badly. She settled for the closest she could get with the job she has now, and then finally agreed to come up and live with us officially when she admitted that she can’t do it completely on her own anymore.” 

“That sucks!” Naruto hollered as he slammed his fist on his desk, looking as angry as any of them had ever seen him. “Why does this have to happen to good people? I’ve talked to [Name] enough to know that she wants to help people! She wants to fight against all the bad going on, but some stupid shoulder injury won’t let her! An injury she got while protecting others!” 

“Dobe, shut up,” Sasuke grit out between clenched teeth. The other man’s rage was contagious, and he couldn’t help catching it. It further enforced his own idea that there was nothing good left in the world. “That’s just how it is.” 

An eerie quiet fell over them all. Discomfort was evident in the way Lee couldn’t force a smile, and in the way Naruto couldn’t stop glaring. 

“Who died?” A familiar voice snapped them out of the depressed mood they had all fallen in. [Name] re-entered, followed by Gaara. 

“Where were you?” Sasuke snapped. She lifted an eyebrow and sent him a smirk. 

“Since when does a girl have to fill out paperwork and announce her needs before she can go to the bathroom?” 

“Then why did Gaara go with you?” Naruto pressed. 

“Complete coincidence,” she answered with a shrug. “Now, who wants coffee?” 

The end of the day came, and Sasuke was finally left alone in the squad room, just the way he liked it. He was pretty on top of everything, but he stayed behind to double check that he and Naruto were up to speed on their reports. 

He laid his head on his arms, resting on his desk. There was nothing left for him to use as an excuse to keep from having to throw all his effort into chasing down the elusive woman that was the current bane of his father’s life. It was going to be a wild goose chase, that much he knew from the start. 

“Stupid Dad, stupid women, stupid criminals, stupid life!” 

He jumped at the sound of his own voice, straightening up. He didn’t mean to vent his frustrations out loud, and he hadn’t only startled himself. 

“Are you okay there?” [Name] spoke softly, seeming wary of him. 

He groaned. “Yeah, I am. Why are you still here?” 

“I forgot my keys. Why are you still here?” 

“Hn. No reason for you to know.” 

The careful expression was replaced by an exasperated one. “I have no idea how you and Naruto haven’t killed each other yet. Anyway, are you getting started on the Queen of Hearts case tonight?” 

“Haven’t decided yet. I thought you weren’t interested in her.” 

“I’m not, at least not like the others were this morning. I think she’s a bigger idiot than your partner, going out on her own like she does. I’m interested in knowing how close we are to catching her.”

“_We_ are nowhere.” 

[E/C] eyes rolled in irritation. “Okay, I’m interested in how close _you_ are to catching her.” 

“Hn. No one knows anything about her. She never leaves behind anything to track her with, she doesn’t talk to anyone, and she doesn’t ever stay still long enough for anyone to get a decent look at her. She might as well be a ghost.”

“There has to be something. Not even dead people completely disappear in this age of technology.”

“As of right now, there is nothing, and I don’t need you on my back about it. I’ve got my dad for that.” 

She took a step back and bit her lip. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” 

He didn’t respond, opting to lace his fingers together and rest his chin on them, an old habit of his from grade school. 

“Well, if you’re going to be here for awhile yet, and I know you don’t want company, do you at least want coffee now? You didn’t get any earlier, and I’m sure the caffeine would do you good.” 

When he didn’t turn her down right away, she stood a little straighter.

“Fine. A tall-” 

“Black, no cream, no sugar,” she said with a soft smile. “Give me some credit, Detective Uchiha. We may not talk much, or at all, but I know your coffee order.” 

“Don’t expect a medal.” 

She shook her head with a chuckle. “If they handed out medals for such trivial things, a lot of people would have houses made of gold.” 

He glanced at her and held it for a minute. She was interesting all right. 

“I’ll be back in a bit.” 

He reached for his wallet to give her some cash, but she waved him off. “I can’t do much, but I can do this.” 

She was off without a moment’s hesitation, leaving him to his solitude once again. Later, as he sipped on his drink, Sasuke thought it might have been slightly sweet, and pinned the blame on the barista who made it.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a week later when Sasuke saw her in person.

“Help me, someone, please!” A woman screamed. 

He was on a nightly walk when he heard the cry of distress, and his stride became a run as he chased the sound to a nearby alley. 

“No one is here to help you, girlie.” 

“Wrong,” the raven haired man stated from the mouth of the alley before he charged the assailant. It was nothing to take the man down, but he hadn’t counted on a second one, and that one had a gun. 

“Hands up and back against the wall!”

He did as he was ordered, using his body to shield her until he was jabbed roughly in the chest and shoved to the side, his back meeting the brick. The two men were on top of them, leering. “Who do we have here? I believe this is Detective Sasuke Uchiha, Captain Uchiha’s little brat!” 

“Whatever you want, take it and leave,” Sasuke commanded, still possessing the fortitude to take control of the situation in which he was greatly disadvantaged. 

“We want to have fun with her, and give you a good beating!” The one with the gun cackled. 

The woman began whispering a prayer as tears raced down her pale cheeks. Sasuke almost snapped at her, but bit his tongue. Never one to lose his cool, he broke down the situation at hand. Two opponents with a gun and blades as weapons, one citizen that was a small push away from hysteria, and no allies.

Wait, one ally?

She dropped down from above suddenly, and disarmed the gunman before he realized she was behind him. His companion stumbled back, and she was right in step with him. She delivered a swift kick to his groin, sending him to the ground. In a tornado like whirl, she spun toward the other and nailed him in the chest with her elbow, then swept his legs out from under him. When both were dispatched at their feet, she sent him a red lipped smirk, and he got an eyeful of her. 

A black spandex bodysuit with a red heart painted on her chest clothed her, along with red small heeled knee high boots, red elbow length gloves, a red utility belt, and a red hood that covered the top half of her face. He couldn’t even see her eyes behind a thin, filmy fabric. A mess of long hair poked out from a hole in the back of the hood, and a small overhead light revealed that half of the mess was red ribbons. She blew him a kiss, then produced a grappling hook from her belt and used it to scale the building she jumped down from. 

“Wait!” He called, but she didn’t obey. In the span of three minutes, she appeared, knocked the two thugs out, and disappeared back into the night. 

A card fluttered down to him, and he grabbed it like it was manna falling from Heaven. It was a single face card, the queen of hearts, naturally. On the back, written in black marker, she had written three words.

_See you around._

He called for the pick up of the felons, and then escorted the victim home, glad that she didn’t latch on to him and beg him to stay. 

When he returned home, he got to work writing down every detail that he had observed. Upon finishing, he looked at the paper filled with his scrawl with a deep smirk. He paperclipped the card she had left him to the corner of the page, and chuckled to himself. He had thought that all the fuss surrounding her was way overblown, but after their encounter, he realized that the only thing that was overblown was her sense of heroism. No wonder his father hated the idea of her. 

A few days later, his father wanted a report.

“You still haven’t found any leads to her identity?” 

“No. I’m running checks on all the female officers, but the likelihood of it being any of them is low. They’ve all been accounted for whenever there have been sightings. Other than that, we’ve got nothing, since we can’t go after every woman in the city who knows how to fight.” 

Fugaku growled and crumpled the empty styrofoam tea cup in his hand. “How is this woman evading us so easily?” 

“It’s not like it’s a case of us just not crossing paths. She is trying to avoid us.” 

“If I needed someone to state the obvious to me, Sasuke, I’d ask your partner to tell me a secret! Get out there and don’t come back until you find something on her!” 

He was glad that only Naruto was in the building at that time, and the blonde must have conveniently taken a bathroom break before he came out of the captain’s office. He let out a tired sigh and sat down at his desk, running his hands through his hair in exasperation. His moment of quiet was destroyed by the sound of falling paper. 

“Ouch, damn it!” 

His head whipped up to see her get on her knees and start gathering the scattered sheets while clutching her right shoulder. He wanted to ignore her and continue to wallow in his agitation- not self pity- but if Naruto came back and saw him not helping her, he’d get another earful, and he wouldn’t be able to tolerate it without punching someone. So, he went to help, feeling a modicum of gratitude that she didn’t indicate that she heard his father yelling at him.

“You don’t have to do this,” she muttered when he knelt down beside her.

“Hn.” 

“Really, I’ve got it,” she insisted. 

“Hn.” 

Her face turned sour at his grunts. “Okay, no more coffee for you. You’re clearly constipated.” 

The glare he shot her would have made an average man cry for his mother. She just laughed. 

“That stopped you. You know, I’ll be okay if you don’t answer me at all. Anything is better than those noises. You sound like a dog my parents had while I was growing up when it snored.” Her voice was soft, and he found that it was like gentle rain after the thunder of his father’s shouting. 

“You say that, but you’ll complain later that I’m ignoring you.” 

“No, I promise that I won’t. I know you’re listening, even when you pretend not to.”

“You don’t know anything about me.” 

He thought he had won, until he felt a warm hand under his chin, lifting it so he would make eye contact with her. “Au contraire. I know more about you than you think. Like you, I listen, even when it doesn’t seem like I am. You, however, know nothing about me.” 

Onyx irises revealed his astonishment at her bold actions, and statements. Even when she let go and returned to gathering, he didn’t stop staring. She finished up and stood, smoothing her skirt down. 

“Thank you for your help, Detective Uchiha.” 

Her words pulled him out of his little trance. No one made him speechless like that, and he was going to make sure she never told of the incident. He quickly rose and followed her to her desk. 

“What do you know? You’ve been here for less than four months, and I haven’t told you anything. It was those blabbering idiots, wasn’t it?” 

She turned to him slowly after setting the manilla folder down, her eyes shining. “They didn’t have to. I can read you like a book, no offense. You have this giant chip on your shoulder, and you think you’re the only one who has to deal with it. Nothing in the world is good enough to keep you going, but you do anyway, for a reason you can’t even understand.” 

She sat down on the sturdy piece of furniture. “It’s all so predictable, and you’re miserable.”

He bared his teeth in fury. How could she talk about him so confidently? How could she make these claims when she only saw him during daylight hours in a contained setting, filling a role that he was so practiced in? How was it that she was right? 

“Who do you think you are? You come in here acting like you belong and you know what’s going on, but you don’t! You failed as a cop, but are still clinging to the department because you want to feel like a hero, even though you’re nothing! You’re pathetic.” 

He huffed and turned his head away, unwilling to see the damage he had caused written on her face, assuming she’d be on the verge of tears. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, and he took the time to let himself calm down naturally. It felt like a huge weight had fallen from his shoulders. He had finally been able to turn on someone and take out his anger which he had been denied for so long. 

“Feel better?” It was almost a whisper, but still strong. Strong as in not shaking, or anything that might hint at tears. 

He faced her again and found that she was eyeing him with a small amount of warmth. There was no pity. No sorrow for his plight that she so accurately described. No guarded emotions that might tell of how he had hurt her. He simply saw someone who did know what he was going through, and wanted to see him through it. 

“Yeah.” 

Anyone else might have asked her how she knew what he needed, but he didn’t. Any other girl might have gone into detail in an attempt to relate to him, but she didn’t. Somehow, they both reached a wordless understanding. 

He didn’t realize he was shaking with relief from his pent up anguish until she put a steady hand lightly on his arm. He stilled almost immediately, not because she soothed him exactly, but because his body refused to let someone be stronger than he was. That conditioned response had often times antagonized him further, but this was not one of those times, because that hand was gone as quickly as it had touched him. 

“Do you have any paperwork for me, Detective?” 

It was a question she presented every day she saw him, and the return to normalcy without him feeling further exposed was the greatest thing that anyone could have done for him. 

“No.” 

“Very well. I’m going to go home early for the day, since most everyone is out. Would you like some coffee before I go?” 

“No.” 

“Then have a good day, Detective Uchiha.” 

“Sasuke.” 

She stopped just as she was about to pass him. “What?” 

“Call me Sasuke.” 

The previous warmth returned, but it was far greater than before. 

“All right. Have a good day, Sasuke.” 

She left, passing Naruto on the way out. Sasuke returned to his desk where he sat down and actually relaxed a bit. It wasn’t much, but it was an improvement. At least until his loudmouthed partner decided to teasingly suggest that more than talking went on between him and the filing clerk.


	4. Chapter 4

‘The Queen of Hearts: Hero, or Menace?’ scrolled underneath the newscaster on screen as he talked about the vigilante. It had been over two months since she appeared, and as she became less of a phantom, so did the support from the citizens lessen. The general public had appreciated her at first, loving the idea of an intangible being righting the wrongs in their city, but she couldn’t maintain that perception any longer. Too many people had seen her, and she had been captured in picture and video. Now, people were scared. 

It was just the fact that she was a seemingly unpoliced human being, doing as she wished. Yes, she was kicking some asses while saving others, but who knew how long that would last? She could turn and become one of the very kind that she fought against. 

“There is a call for the Queen of Hearts to turn herself in,” the grey haired man announced. It cut to footage from a street reporter, getting feedback from different people. 

“She’s helping, yeah, but at the same time, shouldn’t she be punished for searching for trouble?”

“If we knew how to keep tabs on her, and she took an oath to protect like the police do, then I’d feel a lot safer.” 

“I think she’s doing a good job, but she is intimidating.”

The captain of the squad had the most malicious grin on his face as he turned the television off. “See? I knew she was a problem from the start! It’s finally time to mount a full scale investigation. I want her at the top of everyone’s case load from now on. It should be easy to get leads now that she’s viewed as more of threat. People will talk.” 

The six detectives all shot nervous glances to each other. 

“I want each pair to take a different section of the city.” He paused to wheel in a corkboard full of safety pins ready to be used. “We will all coordinate with this. Anything you get on her, I want it on here. Got it?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Good, then get going. Miss [L. Name], you will not have much to do while they are on the street, but I’d like you to stay around here and help keep all the information organized.” 

“Yes, Captain Uchiha.” 

He nodded, and went into his office as always. 

“Guys, I really don’t like this. It’d be one thing if we were to just talk to her, but to expose her? We’ll really find her dead in the street one morning,” Naruto pointed out. 

“Maybe we can figure something out, but we’ve got to stop her first. It’s not going to do any good to sit back and hope something works out,” Shikamaru sighed. 

“You think she knows that she’s scaring people?” Kankuro questioned.

“Probably. She’d be stupid not to pay attention to the news.” 

“Then why keep it up?” 

“Because she wants to help.” 

They all turned to [Name], who was paler than usual. She had brushed off Lee’s concerned hovering that morning when she came in, claiming that she was just recovering from a twenty-four hour virus she caught over the weekend. Even as she sat at her desk, she was quaking.

“How do you know?” 

“I don’t for sure, but think about it.” 

“She’s right,” Sasuke agreed. “That, or she’s planning some big heist.” 

“All the more reason to put a stop to her. No matter her motives, she made the decision to do this, and Naruto, despite your kind heart, she’s going to have to face the consequences.” 

“Really?” Kankuro said with an edge of irritation. “I know you’ve got a strict moral compass and are all about people paying for what they do, but this is someone’s life! Someone who hasn’t done anything wrong!” 

“Except seek out trouble, as so many people have pointed out. If she thinks that she is above the law, then she needs to be corrected. Understanding what she’s doing doesn’t make it okay.” 

“Why are you so against her, [Name]?” 

“It’s not that I’m against her, I’m just being pragmatic. This world lives on a skewed sense of justice, and the only way I find I’m able to sleep at night is by accepting that we are free to make decisions, but that doesn’t extend to deciding the consequences. She’s already putting her life on the line by playing the hero anyway.” 

Sasuke just watched her. Unlike some of the others, his gaze didn’t hold judgment or question. He had gotten to know what kind of person she was, and like she understood him, he found that he understood her. His countenance had lightened because of it, others could note, not knowing the cause. The one who helped him find some peace wouldn’t even take credit for it, but he had to give credit where it was due. [Name] [L. Name] was slowly assisting him out of his lonely, depressed fog, with her accept things as they are but don’t get weighed down by them attitude. She helped him see that he needed to find in himself why he wanted to continue living in the world as it was, and while he had yet to find that reason, he didn’t feel like he was being chained down while he searched for it. It was slow, and small, it seemed, but the effects were immediate.

“Enough of this. We’ve got to get out there. Lee and Nara, take south of tenth. Sabakus, take north of fifth. Naruto and I will take the inbetween. Keep your radios on.” 

No one argued, and the northbound pair went on. Naruto and Kankuro were halfway out the door before they realized their partners were lingering. 

Sasuke and Gaara both looked at [Name], who returned their stares with one of challenge. 

“What’s the hold up? Get going! You all have a date with a woman who is not me, and you might miss her,” she urged. “I’m fine, Gaara, I’ll see you at home. Sasuke, if there’s something you need, just come out and say it.” 

“Go home.”

His demand caught her off guard. “What? No! I’m fine! The captain wants me here.” 

“Forget about him, and go rest.”

She sighed, sensing that she was at the losing end. “Okay, I’ll go tell him I’m not feeling well.” 

“Just leave. I’ll tell him.” 

“All right!” 

She grabbed her jacket and keys, then walked out, appearing a little healthier, as if the little squabble invigorated her. 

“Uh, Sasuke, are you okay?” The energetic detective inquired. 

“I’m fine. She’s obviously not, so she shouldn’t be here. Now go on while I let him know.” Without waiting for an agreement or disagreement, he went to open the door to the office. “I sent [Name] home to rest. She’s sick.” 

Fugaku’s face showed disapproval. “You don’t have the authority to do that.” 

“I know, but it’s better than her being here, spreading germs to the rest of us.” 

“I’m letting this slide because we don’t have anything for her to do today, but it’s a one time thing. You will not do that again, Sasuke.” 

“Right. We’re heading out now.” 

“Hm.” 

When they had left the building, he could feel Naruto’s curious eyes on him.

“Just say it, dobe.” 

“When did you start caring about her?” 

“What makes you think I do?” 

“Sasuke, you have no problem insulting me openly, so you don’t need to do it by implying that I don’t know you like a brother.” 

Though everyone knew Naruto’s overarching idiotic nature, few knew the underlying genius he possessed. Very, very, underlying. 

“I don’t know. What do you want me to say?” 

His partner sighed and shook his head, but didn’t hide his smile. “Nothing. I’m just glad that you found someone else that you can care about.” 

“Shut up. This isn’t a big deal.” 

“Okay, but I’m still going to ask her out.” 

“Shut up!” 

They patrolled the streets for hours, stopping crime as they went. There wasn’t anything major going on, as the crimewave had finally broken. No one would say it, but their target was likely the cause. The jailhouse was filled to over half its capacity and everyone who was even thinking about stepping out of line was thinking twice and deciding it wasn’t worth it. 

“I don’t think she comes out during the day. It’d be too easy to see her, and she does try to keep hidden,” Naruto commented around dusk. “We have gathered all those tips though, so we can get a start on that board.” 

They started back toward headquarters, just as a squad car pulled up with Kankuro and Gaara in it. 

“Heading back? Hop in! We’ve got a recent sighting to report!” The brunette called. The two took the invitation and slid into the back seat. 

“Where? When?” 

“By the abandoned warehouse on Red, just last night! A kid almost got run down by a speeding car, right in front of that building, when she appeared and got him out of the way! She had to be stationed nearby!” 

“Why didn’t the news jump on it? We should have heard about it before now,” Sasuke pointed out, sounding skeptical. 

“No one else was around to see it, other than this kid, his friend, and the driver, who was probably drunk, because he apparently didn’t stop. She made the kids swear not to say anything, and they agreed because they weren’t supposed to be there anyway.” 

“If that’s true, then [Name]’s guess was right! She does just want to help! Then why doesn’t she want to work with us?” 

“She did. Remember when my dad first assigned me to her case? He said she offered to help. He thought she was mocking us, or him specifically, but I’m guessing she wasn’t, and he wouldn’t have taken her up on it anyway. He wants her under his control, not as his ally.”

“That’s messed up!” 

“But it’s done. Now we can only get her to stop. If she stops, the public feels a little safer, and hopefully, we can do it without revealing her identity.” 

“That would be the most realistic outcome,” Gaara agreed. “But there are always variables that could throw it all off. This won’t end just because she stops. People will always fear her because they don’t know her. The best hope we have is that she will eventually be forgotten.” 

“Think she will be?” 

“Who knows?” 

Sasuke kept his focus on the passing world outside, mulling over the situation. Gaara was right. It would take time before things could go back to normal. The real question was, would they ever? Or would the crime rate rise again as soon as the masked warrior was captured? 

They arrived back in the squadroom to see Shikamaru and Lee already there, one pinning up a map of the city on the board, the other writing on index cards. 

“All right, what have we got?” Sasuke quizzed, taking charge. 

“We have suspect names, and eyewitness accounts.” 

“Good, so do we.” 

“Us too,” Kankuro chirped. 

“Let’s get it all recorded, and we can organize it tomorrow. I’m ready to go home, and she’ll be out and about when it gets dark.” 

They worked together for the next hour, getting everything down on paper and sticking pins in the map. When they left, each one had a heavy heart, knowing that the time when they would have to carry out what they believed would be an injustice was drawing near.


	5. Chapter 5

He would never say it out loud, but Sasuke was worried about her. 

[Name] didn’t seem out of the ordinary after she came back, claiming that she was in tiptop shape, but he could see it. Her eyes didn’t hold the same gleam. Her voice didn’t possess the same chime. She didn’t radiate the same peaceful aura. He saw the same pain in her that he used to see in himself whenever he looked in the mirror. It was unsettling.

Night had fallen, and everyone else had left, but he and she had stayed behind to add new details to the board. 

“You know, you don’t have to push yourself so hard,” he said, breaking the dry silence. “You can take a break.”

“I’m fine. I can do this.” She had been parroting that phrase all day whenever someone spoke to her. 

“Yes, you can, but you don’t have to.” 

She ignored him, placing another pin on the map. 

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, and he finally knew why everyone said he had been so miserable to be around. It was like she had become a black hole, sucking in all the good feeling around her and neutralizing it. She had stopped him, somehow, but he wasn’t sure how to return the favor. 

When she heaved a heavy sigh, there was a split second that he thought she would collapse. His trained instinct led to his arms encircling her, his tall, muscular frame supporting her. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Shut up and accept some help for once.” 

Her head turned toward him, and they made eye contact. Unlike one might expect, there was no electricity, no fireworks as he held her. There didn’t need to be. There was a subtle magnetism that bound them together, a secure tie that felt safe. Neither of them knew when this came about, but when their mouths brushed against each other, they didn’t care. 

“Sasuke,” she whispered, her breath a warm caress of his lips. “This-” 

“Is happening. Are you going to let it, or are you going keep acting like you’re on your own, to bear a burden that you think no one understands?” He challenged. 

“You don’t get it. You don’t know what I’m dealing with, and you can’t help me.” 

“Try me.” 

Her [E/C] eyes flashed with a small spark of irritation, and it was the biggest show of life he had seen from her in over a week, and he wanted to see more. 

“So what will it be?” He goaded her on. 

She wrenched her body away from his. “I’m not kidding. I can’t share this problem.” 

“Right, because it’s so unfathomable that anyone shoulder your burdens. It makes sense when you think about it, because you don’t offer to help anyone shoulder theirs. You are just good at poking and prodding until the pressure is released, then you go on like nothing happened.” 

“I only did that because your stupid pride wouldn’t have accepted anything else!” She practically hissed. “I wanted to help you, not cuddle up to you, which is what you would have thought I was trying to do if I had offered anything! You have a stupid complex that just repels anyone who might get close to you, but newsflash, not everyone is a threat! Some people genuinely want to do good things without having ulterior motives!” 

She continued to rant, and Sasuke wondered if he had looked as crazy as she did now when he had gone off on her the day the tables had been reversed. Still, he found a strange beauty in her chaos. 

Eventually, she calmed, breathing heavily. 

“Feel better?” 

She shot him an expression of disbelief, before doubling over in laughter, finally catching on to the irony of the situation. 

“Yes.” 

When she straightened up, it was like she had never gone through the haze. Warmth radiated off her in waves like a hearth fire, and her body was relaxed. 

The charge of emotion she had released reactivated the magnetic pull, and they didn’t have a chance to resist before they were in each other’s arms, lips smashed feverishly together. Their teeth collided, but that didn’t slow Sasuke down as one hand went to the back of her head, fisting in her hair, and the other gripped her skirt, using the leverage to pull her closer. 

They weren’t impulsive people, and it surprised them that they were clinging to each other like their lives would end if they let go. Then again, surprises were not always bad.

“We should stop,” [Name] huffed once she had stopped gasping for air. 

“Probably.” 

He captured her mouth again, walked her backwards to the nearest desk, which happened to be Naruto’s, and smirked at the brief thought of how the blonde would react if he knew what they were using it for. His hands moved to her rear end to help her up onto the surface. Her hands were all over his chest, arms, shoulders, face, and hair, never staying in one place for too long. 

They both knew that despite their hormones, they wouldn't have gone any further, but they could have have been tangled up in each other for quite awhile if the police scanner hadn’t beeped, and a voice that sounded so familiar came through. 

“Requesting units to the warehouse on Red Avenue in twenty minutes!” 

Sasuke tensed immediately and spun around to glare vehemently at the communication device that relayed Fugaku’s voice. “What?” 

His next focus was the map, and it clicked instantly. 

“He’s going after her tonight.” 

“How do they know for sure she’s there?” 

“It’s their best bet. She has responded the quickest to that area most of the time. It has to be her base.” 

[Name]’s face fell into a morose expression. “This can all end tonight.” 

“It can. If she’s around when they get there, it will.” 

He faced her again, taking in her disheveled appearance. His body yearned to continue, but something held him back. 

He wasn’t going to stand idly by in this, like he had on almost everything else in his life. He couldn’t. 

“I’m going to warn her. You stay here.” 

“Sasuke, this will get you in big trouble with your father,” she spoke softly, lacking any conviction.

“It won’t be the first time I’ve gone against him.” 

Her eyes raked over him, taking him in. “Be careful.” 

“Promise me you’ll stay here where it’s safe,” he requested harshly. 

“I do, if you promise to be careful.” 

“Fine. I promise. I’ll come back here when it’s over.” 

Though this was the first time he had ever seen her worry, he couldn’t focus on dissuading it. A soft kiss that conveyed his care for her was all he could give before rushing out the door. 

The dark, desolate edifice may have seemed daunting to others, but nothing scared Sasuke Uchiha, who had survived hoards of, dare he say rabid, fangirls from a very young age. 

Getting the creeps was an entirely different matter. 

“Hello?” He called out as he cautiously entered. He received no reply. There were only a few precious minutes before the place would be surrounded by cops, and he wanted to make sure that they weren’t going to corner the mysterious woman, then get out. “Is anyone here?”

“My, my, who do we have here?” A feminine voice lilted from the rafters above. “Detective Sasuke Uchiha, we meet again. What brings you here?” 

She dropped down in front of him. Her bright red lips formed a welcoming smile. “You couldn’t be here looking for little old me?”

“Look, my father is bringing a small army of officers to arrest you and they’ll arrive at any minute. You’ve got to hide.” Much to his chagrin, she kept smiling. “You really should take this seriously. He wants to unmask you for the whole city to see. You’ll have a permanent target on your back. You’ll never be safe again.” 

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re really sweet?” Her tone wasn’t patronizing, but it still aggravated him.

“Fine. I did what I came here to do. You’re on your own.” He huffed and turned heel. 

“Wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I appreciate what you’ve done, and the risk you took. I’ll take your advice.” 

He stopped, but didn’t turn back. “You just want to help, right? It’s time to help yourself now.” 

“Yes, listen to my foolish son,” Fugaku chuckled darkly as he and ten other men dressed in kevlar vests stepped out of the shadows. One came up from behind the woman and restrained her by the arms.

Sasuke clenched his fists. “Dad, you’re making a mistake. Just talk to her and work something out!” 

“You’ve always been so naive, Sasuke. The world doesn’t work that way.”

“You know, it actually could if you were willing to play nice,” the dubbed Queen scathed. “I’m still amenable to discussion.” 

The captain sneered. “You’re in no position whatsoever to make requests.” 

“I wouldn’t say that.” Her visage softened and she redirected her gaze back to Sasuke. “Thank you, really. Now, worry about yourself.” 

“Why don’t you just give in?” It was a simple suggestion, but the way that she looked at him, he might as well have insulted her entire family line. 

“I don’t give up, Detective. In the war against all the negativity and crime, I can’t do much, but I can do this.” 

As he heard the words, he was taken back to a day weeks before, when he realized this woman, who seemed to have no sense of self-preservation, was the same as the one that had offered to buy him coffee.


	6. Chapter 6

It couldn’t be. There was no way it was true. The woman Sasuke had unwillingly come to deeply care about was not the Queen of Hearts. Above all, she was not the Queen of Hearts directly in front of him, at his tyrannical father’s mercy. 

She smiled knowingly at him, and his pathetic denial was thrown out the window. He couldn’t make a sound or move, even after being ordered to get out of the way. 

“It’s okay, Detective. Go on,” she encouraged him. “You have a promise to keep.” 

Her words flipped a switch in him, and he was livid. “You idiot! You don’t know what you’re doing!” 

The soft chuckle did nothing to calm him. “I promise you that I do.” 

That was the only warning anyone had before she elbowed her captor in the solar plexus and jammed her foot down on his. 

“Move!” Fugaku roared redundantly. Everyone else was already in action. They had orders to keep her alive, so they all held back, which was their downfall. 

One by one, this woman took them on, fighting with the strength of a lioness. Blows glanced right off her like they were as light as feathers, but they still made contact. Sasuke couldn’t understand how she could do all this. He had seen her limitations at work… Or had he? 

When the last officer was on the ground, Fugaku roared once more. “Sasuke, take her down now, or you will take her place in a cell!” 

“Take me on yourself, you coward!” She baited the older man. “Don’t leave your dirty work to be done by others!” 

Just as his enraged father ran forward, Sasuke threw himself in between them. “Dad! Don’t do this!” 

Fugaku stopped, but not completely, ready to throw a punch at a moment’s notice. “Get out of my way, Sasuke!” 

“Queen! You have to stop!” The younger man cried. 

“I don’t have to do anything!” 

“What is your reason?” He countered. “What is your reason in all of this?” 

“What do you think? I’m trying to save this city!” 

“But you can’t do any more good without damage! You know this! That’s why you haven’t been feeling well, isn’t it?” 

The conversation between his son and his enemy had Fugaku confused, which only added to his anger. “Sasuke, I’m going to defeat her whether you like it or not! Stand down!” 

“No!” The detective defied him. “I won’t let you! Just like I won’t let her keep hurting herself!” 

“Sasuke,” she said in what was meant to be a warning, but came out as a plea. “Just let it happen. I made my bed, now I will lie in it.” 

“Get out of here and never come back!” He commanded. 

“Sasuke!” 

“I won’t run!” 

He couldn’t take it. Everything was in question, and he only had one answer. 

“You’re my reason, okay! Don’t disappear just as I’ve found you!” 

The two opposing forces stilled, mouths hanging open. When he felt his father’s lack of resistance, Sasuke dared meet his eyes. “I won’t let you destroy her, and I won’t let her destroy herself either.” 

“You can’t be serious.” 

“I am.” His black pools held a steely glint, his jaw was tense, and it was clear that he intended to go down fighting both of them if he had to. 

“Why?” 

“You really wouldn’t understand, but she does. I will choose her over you, if you make me.” 

Father and son clashed in a mute battle of wills, staring each other down, waiting to see the other break. It was interrupted by the sound of a body hitting the floor, and they both broke the contest to see the young woman on the ground, defenseless. 

Despite her brave front, it was obvious that she had taken too much damage to keep herself up on her own strength, and Sasuke remembered how weak she had been back at the station. He rushed to her side, but continued to glare at his father. 

Fugaku was reputed as a cold, cynical, and occasionally cruel man. In his situation, many would bet that he would take advantage of her weakness. They would be right, if not for Sasuke. At the end of the day, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt his son. 

“I need two things if I am to allow this. I assume that Sasuke knows your true identity, and I need to as well. Just me,” he added at the sign of Sasuke’s protest. “The second thing is your vow to abandon this charade. You will be held accountable if you break that oath.” 

The wrinkles on his forehead crinkled as he let out a small chuckle at the pair's expressions. Their eyes could have fallen right out of socket. “I’m not that heartless. Now, come on.” 

He turned to the detail of officers that were once again on their feet. “You are all dismissed.” 

“But Captain-” 

“I still have my gun. I don’t believe they will try anything. The young lady probably can’t move if she tries, and if I can’t trust my son, then I’m better off dead.” 

They were all unconvinced, but one hardened glance sent them packing. When they had all evacuated, Fugaku waited expectantly for the reveal. 

[Name] and Sasuke shared a soft, tender glimpse, before she slowly removed her hood and the ornaments in her hair. 

“Sir.” 

He shook his head, and placed a palm against his forehead. “Right under my nose the whole time. This is an insult.” 

“You won’t share her identity with anyone without her permission, if ever,” Sasuke stated firmly. 

“No, I won’t, as long as she makes and keeps the second part of the deal.” 

She gave him a slight nod. “I promise. I’ll stop, but I didn’t do this just for myself. This city is lacking in security and it needs to be fixed.” 

“Don’t push your luck, Miss [L. Name]... But I will conduct an inspection of the city and see where we are lacking. You have no say.” 

“Very well, sir.” 

“Now, let’s go home. For your own sake, you will be at work in the morning, tearing down that board, acting like you know nothing other than what I’ve ordered you.” 

For the first time since she met him, [Name] smiled at her boss. “Yes, sir.” 

“Good.” He headed for the car, leaving them alone. 

Neither of them said a word as Sasuke got to his feet, then picked [Name] up. Her eyes peered into his, searching for the things that he wouldn’t say out loud. It could have been a long process, but she contented herself with a brief minute. 

“Thank you.” 

“Hn,” he grunted, and at her narrowed gaze, gave her one that clearly said he deserved this one time. “You’re an idiot.” 

“I know, but it would seem that I’m your idiot now.” 

“What gave you that idea?” 

“Oh, my mistake. I’m your reason.” 

“Don’t go broadcasting it, or you will be my reason for doing something not so pleasant.” 

She granted him with the warm smile that made his insides turn to mush. “Okay, that’s fine. I’ll take it to my grave. I don’t have to tell you to keep quiet.”

“About all this? No shit.” 

“Well yes, but that’s not what I meant.” 

“Then what did you mean?” 

She placed a soft kiss on his cheek and laid her head against his shoulder. 

_“You’re my reason too.”_


	7. epilogue

“I can confidently say that the Queen of Hearts is no longer an issue,” Fugaku announced to the press a week later. 

The air filled with the chatter of questions, to which he refused to listen. “No, I can’t offer you any proof at this time, but as no sightings have been reported of her in the last week, I can assure you that it will remain that way. She was merely misguided, though she did bring my attention to the alarming lack of security in certain parts of the city, which are already being addressed. Thank you for your time.” 

He turned his back on the sea of reporters and retreated to the safety of the station house. 

“Animals, all of them,” he grumbled as he strolled into the squad room. 

“I’m still dying to know who’s behind this magic trick,” Shikamaru sighed in reference to the disappearance of the vigilante, as well as the improvement in their commander’s attitude. 

“That’s nothing compared to the fact that Sasuke smiled when he came in this morning!” Naruto tried to whisper. 

“I thought that was a trick of the light!” Kankuro stated, slapping a hand to the side of his head. 

“This is truly the springtime of his youth!” Lee cheered. “It truly is marvelous!” 

Gaara remained silent, content to let the gossip fly over his head. 

“You know what? I think he and [Name] are up to something!” 

“Like what? Dating?” 

“Oh, that would be even more youthful!” 

“No way! She would never go for that tight ass!” 

“Ahem.” They all fixed their attention to the source of the noise, where they saw a frowning Sasuke and bemused [Name], holding a drink holder loaded with steaming styrofoam cups. 

“I didn’t bring coffee for a bunch of gossip mongers!” 

“Wait, we’ll be good!” Naruto promised, already drooling for his morning caffeine. 

“At least have the nerve to ask us directly,” she scolded. 

“Like you would tell us!” Kankuro argued. 

“Now you’ll never know, because we definitely won’t tell you.” 

“But [Name]!” The blonde whined.

She took a breath and glanced at the man at her side. “How did you survive before I got here?” 

“I almost didn’t. Give them the damn drinks so we can all get back to work.” 

She chuckled. “Yes, Detective.” 

“Enough of that.” 

She distributed the beverages, taunting the more energetic of the squad, then went to her desk, where she had a stack of reports from the investigation into her alter ego. Before she could pick them up, something small floated down on top of them. She lifted her head to see the raven haired man who had helped her work through the end of the madness. 

“Sasuke, what-” 

“Just read it.” 

She curiously picked it up to see that it was a very specific card, then smiled brightly when she read the message on the back. 

_You’re still the queen of my heart._


End file.
